Chapter 12 - Getting the Band Back Together
Pit tapped his fingers against the makeshift card table in E. Gadd's lab, his brow furrowed in concentration. Across from him, Yoshi and Donkey Kong were locked in an intense game of cards.
The silence in the room was broken only by the occasional mutter from the players and the clanking of E. Gadd's tools in the background.
"I've got this in the bag," he said, grinning.
"Yoshi? (Got any threes?)" Yoshi asked, his tail swishing lazily.
Pit sighed. "Yoshi, this isn't Go Fish. We're playing Crazy Eights."
DK looked at his cards and scratched his head, trying to decipher the rules he barely understood.
"Yoshi… (Oh…)" Yoshi stared at his cards, his tongue flicking out in thought. "Yoshi! (I fold!)"
"That's not—" Pit groaned, resting his head on the table.
Meanwhile, in the background, Palutena's voice echoed as she was in the middle of yet another argument with Viridi.
"I'm telling you, Palutena, the best way to stop Galeem and Dharkon is a full-frontal assault! We'll overwhelm them in no time!" Viridi's voice boomed.
"That's way too reckless to work!" Palutena shot back. "We need a strategy, not a brainless killfest. This is why you never win our divine poker nights."
"Don't bring that up!" Viridi snapped. "Besides, what's your grand plan, huh? Wait around until they send the whole multiverse into chaos? We can't devise a strategy; we have to move before they tear everything apart!"
The conversation became a blur of bickering until Viridi finally addressed Pit directly, her voice booming in frustration. "Pit! You need to stop wasting time and find a way to take out Galeem and Dharkon!"
"Viridi's right for once," Palutena added as she sighed, reluctantly agreeing with Viridi.
Pit threw up his hands. "You think I haven't been trying? I'm out of ideas here!"
Viridi then snapped back, "The least you could do is try to find something! What is sitting here and waiting for an invention gonna do?"
Yoshi piped up, wagging his finger. "Yoshi! (I've got an idea!)"
Pit turned to him. "What is it?"
"Yoshi! (We can go to Yoshi's Island and get the Sundream Stone!)"
"The Sundream Stone?" Pit echoed, intrigued.
"Yoshi! (It can grant wishes!)" Yoshi explained. "Yoshi! (If we use it, we could wish to stop Galeem and Dharkon!)"
Pit's eyes lit up. "You know what… That might actually work!" He turned to E. Gadd. "Do you have anything that can get us to Yoshi's Island quickly?"
E. Gadd rubbed his chin, then began rummaging through a cluttered corner of the lab. "Let's see… Ah! Here it is!" He dusted off a device that looked like a combination of a Poltergust and a miniature rocket. "The Super Poltergust 3001! It's an older invention, but it should get you there in no time!"
Pit, Yoshi, and DK exchanged glances before thanking E. Gadd and preparing to leave.
Meanwhile, in the distorted, glowing void of Galeem and Dharkon's domain, Dark Pit stirred. His eyes flickered open, filled with confusion as he looked around.
"Where… am I?" he muttered, trying to stand. Dark energy swirled around him, and a chilling voice echoed through the void.
"You are in my domain," Dharkon intoned. "And you, Dark Pit, will serve me."
Dark Pit gritted his teeth. "Tch, yeah. Like hell I will!"
Tendrils of darkness snaked around him, binding his limbs. Dharkon's power surged, overwhelming Dark Pit as he screamed in defiance. Slowly, his struggles ceased, and his form was consumed by a dark aura.
"Now," Dharkon said, his voice cold, "you will go to the Mario universe and stop Pit, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong."
"Of course, Dharkon. I'll make short work of those three." Dark Pit nodded silently as he vanished into a portal.
In Boo Woods, Pit fiddled with the Super Poltergust 3001, trying to figure out how to start it.
"Does this button launch it, or…?" he wondered aloud.
Before he could find out, a sharp blast struck the device, destroying it in a fiery explosion. Pit, Yoshi, and DK leaped back, shielding themselves from the debris.
They looked up to see Dark Pit hovering above, his Dark Pit Staff crackling with energy. A dark aura surrounded him, and his expression was cold and menacing.
"Oh no… they got Pittoo…" Pit said, stunned.
"What'd I tell you about calling me that?" Dark Pit bellowed, "I've shed any heart that I've once had. I'll finally put you to rest!"
Palutena's voice echoed in Pit's mind. "It seems Dharkon's power must've gotten to him. You'll have to fight him, Pit."
Viridi's voice followed as she sighed. "I guess there's no other choice. Bring Dark Pit back to his senses, and make sure he's back to me in one piece!"
Without hesitation, Yoshi and Donkey Kong both jumped in front of Pit. Yoshi launched an egg barrage while Donkey Kong pounded the ground, sending shockwaves through the twisted forest.
Dark Pit effortlessly dodged their attacks, raising his Silver Bow and firing a charged arrow, striking Yoshi square in the chest and sending him crashing into a tree.
Donkey Kong roared in anger, charging forward with a Giant Punch, but Dark Pit caught his fist mid-swing. Before DK could react, Dark Pit twisted his arm and smashed a knee into his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs.
In a blur, Dark Pit spun and kicked DK into the air, then followed up with a brutal aerial combo, slashing him repeatedly before sending him plummeting to the ground with a devastating final strike. DK hit the earth hard, groaning as he struggled to move.
Yoshi, dazed but determined, got back on his feet and lunged at Dark Pit with a flutter kick. But before he could land a hit, Dark Pit teleported behind him, grabbing Yoshi by the throat and hurling him into DK's fallen body.
"Pathetic," he muttered before turning to Pit. "Your little friends stood no chance against me. Bring it on!" Dark Pit said.
Pit gripped his twin blades. "I'll never lose to you, Pittoo!"
Dark Pit dashed forward, his Silver Bow morphing into twin blades. Pit barely raised his blades in time to block the flurry of strikes. Each clash sent sparks flying through the misty air as Dark Pit relentlessly pressed the attack.
Pit tried to counter, twisting his body mid-air for a spinning strike, but Dark Pit caught him mid-motion and sent him hurtling into a tree with a powerful kick. Gritting his teeth, Pit pushed himself up just in time to see Dark Pit aiming his Dark Pit Staff at him, the barrel glowing ominously.
Pit knew he couldn't take a direct hit, so he darted forward, zigzagging through the air to close the gap. He swung with all his strength, forcing Dark Pit onto the defensive. Their weapons clashed again and again, but Pit's movements began to slow, exhaustion creeping into his limbs.
Dark Pit took advantage, landing a brutal strike that sent Pit sprawling onto the damp forest floor. As Pit gasped for air, Dark Pit loomed over him, his Dark Pit Staff fully charged with pulsating dark energy.
"This is the end for you. Die!" Dark Pit muttered as he took aim.
Just as he was about to fire, a massive rift tore open behind him, and with a deafening roar, the Falcon Flyer shot out of the void, slamming straight into Dark Pit. The force sent him crashing into the ground, his dark energy shattering on impact.
Pit coughed as he slowly sat up, watching as the unconscious Dark Pit lay motionless. The dark power had dissipated, leaving only his rival, free from corruption. The Falcon Flyer skidded to a stop in Boo Woods, its cockpit bursting open.
Samus, Captain Falcon, Mario, and Mega Man tumbled out, bruised but alive.
Pit let out a tired chuckle. "Well… that was unexpected." He then rushed over to help them up. "You guys okay?"
Samus nodded, her visor cracked. "We're fine… But Pikachu's missing."
Mario groaned, rubbing his head as he recognized Pit, Yoshi, and DK. "What's-a going on here?"
Pit quickly explained everything. "We've been waiting for E. Gadd to make another Reality-Jumper… or for you to come back… whichever one happened first."
As Pit filled the others in on what was happening, five figures dropped beside them.
Peach, Daisy, Banjo, and Diddy Kong, their bodies pulsating with radiant energy, stood unnaturally still. At the center, Luigi, his form wreathed in shadow, his eyes glowing an ominous red, let out a ragged breath. Then, in an instant, they attacked.
"Daisy… Peach… Luigi…" Mario said softly, his heart sinking.
DK was enraged at the sight of Diddy Kong and Banjo being corrupted, slamming his fists and assuming a battle-ready pose.
"Jeez," Pit sighed, "We just can't catch a break, can we?"
Pit barely had time to react before Banjo swung Kazooie like a club, sending him skidding across the dirt. Captain Falcon charged in, only for Banjo to meet his Falcon Punch with a devastating blow, knocking him back.
On the other side of the battlefield, Yoshi and Donkey Kong struggled against Diddy Kong's unnatural speed. Diddy zipped through the trees, his glowing eyes locked onto his foes as he rained peanuts from his Peanut Popgun down on them.
DK tried to swat him out of the air, but Diddy flipped over his punch and retaliated with a kick, launching the ape into a tree. Yoshi attempted to grab Diddy, but Diddy twisted midair and kicked Yoshi away before he could react.
Meanwhile, Mario and Samus fought against Peach and Daisy. Peach twirled elegantly, sending heart-shaped explosions of energy toward Samus, forcing her to activate her Power Suit's shields just in time.
Daisy slammed Mario with a glowing backhand, sending him crashing against a tree. The two princesses hovered ominously, preparing to finish them off.
Mega Man faced off against Luigi, the corrupted plumber warping through the shadows with unnatural speed. Mega Man fired a Charge Shot, but Luigi vanished and reappeared behind him, striking with a dark-infused Super Jump Punch that sent Mega Man crashing into a tree.
"Th-They're way stronger than expected…" Samus called out.
"Th-There's-a no way we can beat-a them…" Mario gasped as he went down on one knee.
"I expected Galeem and Dharkon's forces to be strong, but not this strong…" Palutena thought as her voice echoed.
"No way!" Captain Falcon yelled as he got up in a surge of fire. "We're not giving up! We've come so far in this that we can't give up now! We have not just our friends, but our universes and the multiverse that we need to save! Stand up and let's defeat whoever's behind this!"
"You know what, Falcon?" Mega Man said as he got up, "You're right!"
Mega Man, locked in a brutal one-on-one with Luigi, barely managed to dodge Luigi's devastating Thunderhand. He switched to his Metal Blade, tossing a spinning sawblade at Luigi's feet, forcing him to dodge.
At that moment, Mega Man followed up with a charged Mega Buster blast, sending Luigi crashing into a tree. Staggered, Luigi let out a distorted snarl, but before he could react, Mega Man switched to Thunder Beam, shocking Luigi with a powerful blast and incapacitating him.
Pit and Captain Falcon rushed at Banjo, who swung Kazooie like a club, his movements enhanced by the light's unnatural power. Pit struck first, his blades flashing, but Banjo caught the attack with surprising speed.
Captain Falcon charged in before landing a Falcon Kick, sending Banjo tumbling. Falcon jumped up and performed another Falcon Kick, directly striking Banjo's chest.
Nearby, Yoshi and DK clashed with Diddy Kong, who zipped through the trees like a blur. Yoshi fired eggs, while DK swung his mighty fists, knocking down trees to cut off Diddy's movement. Finally, Yoshi's tongue caught Diddy mid-air, pulling him into DK's devastating ground slam, leaving Diddy stunned.
Meanwhile, the princesses launched waves of magical energy, forcing Mario and Samus to dodge rapidly. Samus fired charged plasma shots, but Peach's parasol deflected them, while Daisy countered with earth-shaking kicks that cracked the ground.
Mario rushed forward, dodging a heart-shaped blast before delivering a Super Jump Punch to Peach's jaw. As Daisy lunged at him, Samus intercepted her with a missile, sending both princesses stumbling. They regrouped, but before they could counter, a well-timed Power Bomb from Samus engulfed them in an explosion, forcing them back.
The battle had turned. The corrupted warriors, sensing their disadvantage, glowed intensely before vanishing in a flash of light and darkness, their eerie presence disappearing into the depths of Boo Woods. As the heroes caught their breath, Mario clenched his fists, staring into the void where his brother had once stood. "We have to stop this," he muttered.
"I think you should all regroup and form a plan," Palutena mentioned.
"Why don't we go to E. Gadd's Lab?" Pit suggested. "Besides, we need to get that new Reality Jumper from him anyway."
The group nodded as they all walked to E. Gadd's lab, ready for the journey they'd need to go on.